I don't live anywhere close to desert, but it sounds sweet.
I do live close to a giant park system with ledges, a big-ass lake, and many good sized creeks. I like to get in the woods by 9am and start trippin' by 10. A solid 7 hours of runnin' through nature preserve is great, just remember to have plenty to drink and a way of telling direction if ya need one. Last year I ended up waist deep in a pile of dead conifer trees while ~10 buzzards (yeah, on the ground in a group...weird) stoop ~20-30 feet away from me, staring at me like I'm on drugs.
Also, staring at our fireplace with a rock & mortar facade is pretty ridiculous. All the patterned tile and stuff is fun, oh and stucco ceilings.